Feyenoord defeated PSV in the Dutch Super Cup last summer, but the reigning Eredivisie winners got revenge in Sunday’s league showdown from Eindhoven.
Malik Tillman scored once as Peter Bosz’s men claimed a 3-0 home victory over Feyenoord today. The U.S. men’s national team midfielder started and played 90 minutes, as did right back Richie Ledezma.
Noa Lang and Luuk De Jong both scored in the first half as PSV led 2-0 at halftime.
Tillman called his own number in the 63rd minute, curling a right-footed shot into the far-right corner of the net. It marked the 22-year-old’s seventh league goal of the season.
PSV would hang on for a shutout win, staying nine points clear at the top of the Eredivisie table.
Tillman won eight duels, drew two fouls, and made two tackles in his performance.
Ricardo Pepi dressed but did not feature off of the bench.
PSV now has a three-week break before resuming league play against AZ Alkmaar.
Great goal by Tillman. Have to figure out a way to get him going for the USMNT.
Pepi has to be a bit perturbed not getting off the bench
today. Wonder if PSV is considering selling him in January. Keeping him injury free before a potential move?
Last year for the season Ricardo played 674 minutes, started 2, and had 9g 3a.
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This season roughly halfway he’s played 806 minutes, started 7, and has 13g 2a.
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I’m sure he was fine sitting there with his puffy jacket on staying warm. He’s basically been trading off starting every other match the last two months. His team is in first place. Why would he be upset? They won 3-0 he’s a pro he understands sometimes it’s about being a teammate. Mauro Junior got hurt that used a sub and they wanted to let Chucky have a farewell appearance in his last day with the club before leaving for San Diego.
“Wonder if PSV is considering selling him in January. ”
Barring someone coming in with a stupid money bid, why would they?
They have a good thing going with the two man-center forward thing and they still have half the season still to go.
Did you notice that the other half of their two man center forward, the “space taking, washed up has-been…Luuk De long ” started against non amateur, legit team Feyenoord and scored?
Pepi is a PSV player and they are managing him for the benefit of the PSV timetable , not the USMNT timetable. Bosz is calling the shots not Pochettino.
When the season ends things may change but right now their 2 man center forward looks pretty good. Pepi still has a lot to learn. Better he learn that at PSV rather than the Galaxy. Another half season gives him a chance to work on his weaknesses in an environment that is known for developing young players. I’ll bet Pochettino is probably good with this and with Pepi building up his anger and resentment so that he can show everybody just how wrong y’all are when the World Cup rolls around.
Are you happy with fat, entitled USMNT players who think they have arrived before they really have? I want Pepi to be all kinds of pissed off when the 2026 World Cup arrives because we’ve seen how he reacts to that.
“Did you notice that the other half of their two man center forward, the “space taking, washed up has-been…Luuk De long ” started against non amateur, legit team Feyenoord and scored?”
Haha, that only means Pepi would have had a brace or hattrick this game
He had 2 shots all game, only one on target (Malik Tillman, the ACM, had 4 SHOTS WITH 3 ON TARGET)….and score a header Wondo would have scored
“They have a good thing going with the two man-center forward thing and they still have half the season still to go”.
No they don’t, De Jong is taking up space. “Two man Center forward thing” you are talking about would only be a thing if the “cant-run, cant-shoot, cant assist” has been-of -a-striker came in the game LATE (in the second half)…..after Pepi, Tillman, Lang etc have wore out the defenses (and everyone is move at 30%) so he could at least keep up in the game.
Pepi has more goals in FAR less minutes played (900+ vs 600+) this season COMING OFF THE BENCH, and has a better pass percentage for PSV…… it goes without saying HE IS THE BETTER OF THE TWO STRIKERS.
The only stat that he beats Pepi is his aerial ability…..which would increase his scoring chances coming in the game with tired legs on the field IN THE SECOND HALF (because he can shoot for $hit!!!). Several EPL teams (e.g. Everton) are putting in bids for Pepi, so maybe its a monetary move but without a doubt Ricardo Pepi IS A BETTER STRIKER that the 34 year version of Luuk De Jong
Bizzy: The AD (Netherlands #2 newspaper) just listed De Jong on the best XI of the first half so apparently he’s not as bad as you think. Also on their best XI Pax and Malik. Apparently they went by statistical rankings.
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De Jong despite your description is often rated by computer rankings higher than Pepi which means he’s doing something right. Fotmob 7.59-7.28, SofaScore 7.39-7.37, Whoscored 7.46-7.22.
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These stat numbers obviously don’t mean everything, but they are an indicator that the two are both performing well. Pepi’s numbers are coming against lower in the standings teams his goal and assist vs Twente were his first against a team in the top half.
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Pepi is probably better off staying at PSV this season, starting every other match, winning the golden boot, another league title, making CL knockouts than transferring to relegation avoiding teams like Everton, where he most likely wouldn’t start right away either.
Bizzy,
I haven’t found PSV, or any pro team to be overly sentimental. I’ve been in the Netherlands on business and I can promise you the Dutch are infamous for being brutally honest to a fault.
If you suck they’ll be nice about it but they will dump so fast your head will spin.
If DeJong was anywhere near as bad as you claim he’d be out on the street right now. They would not have dared to start him vs Feyenoord,
If DeJong was the fucking disaster passenger you say he is and poor Ricardo is being shackled having to carry DeJong’s water for him, then PSV would likely have started Pepi vs. Feyenoord and would be looking for some help in the upcoming window. If they do that then that should tell you something.
DeJong is not doing as well as he did last season probably because last season he was ridiculously good. Pepi has a lot to learn and if he cares to, he can learn from DeJong.
As far as I’m concerned, Pepi is like a pig in shit. He gets to inflate his goal totals versus fiscally lacking weakling teams. Then he gets to take out his frustration when he plays for the USMNT. By the time 2026 rolls around, Pepi ought to be just about right. To me he is right on schedule.
Is he pissed off about it?
It is good if he is. He was told this was how it was going to be when he signed on. If some bigger team comes in for him then that means he gets to go to a team with tougher competition and has to start all over again just before the upcoming World Cup.
Maybe he proves he is the new Erling or maybe he’s the new Jozy Altidore. It’s a risk. If he feels like he handle it, I would not stand in his way.
Whatever he does, I hope he succeeds but don’t be shocked if goes to a new club and it is Augsburg all over again.
LUUK De Jong is Bosz’s favorite and a striker he trusts and has relied on for results over the years.
Bosz on Pepi statements
“Peter Bosz is not surprised by Ricardo Pepi’s recent statements (about not starting). The striker recently said he struggled to remain patient as a second striker.
“With all my players I have talks, also with Pepi, I don’t need to sit down with him after the international matches,” Bosz responded to Pepi’s statements. “What he said about the striker position at PSV is not new to me. Pepi is a top striker and he is right when he says he is ready to be first striker at PSV. However, I have two top strikers and right now Luuk de Jong is my No. 1.”
He continued. “Pepi has definitely already played more than last season, the same goes for other players. I also said before the season that I would rotate a bit more. Nothing has changed about him and his behavior. Pepi is still very young, it is up to us to develop him and he has definitely become a better player already. But there is still plenty to improve.”
Coaches field players that they’ve worked with for a while and trust. There is favoritism between coaches and players.
The game after this comment Pepi scored a hat trick lol
Bizzy,
“Coaches field players that they’ve worked with for a while and trust. There is favoritism between coaches and players.”
Bosz seems to be a good coach. You don’t seem to mind that he favors Dest, Tillman and Richie. The good coaches have “favorites” because those players usually give the manager what they need to win. Bill Parcells, an NFL legend, used to say ” You treat everyone fairly but you don’t treat everyone the same”
PSV is leading the league. Bosz may be the idiot you say he is, but as long as he wins, no one is firing him for doing things HIS way.
“The game after this comment Pepi scored a hat trick lol”
That hat trick came vs Groningen a near bottom dweller in the division who are currently 2 points out of the relegation zone.
Like the numbers say, top half teams= De Jong, bottom dwellers = Pepi.
There is no conspiracy here.
Bosz said it pretty plainly. Pepi is good enough to be the #1 guy but DeJong is that guy for now. Bosz is maximizing his resources, using up all the rounds in the magazine before switching mags and reloading.
You don’t seem to realize that this is a big luxury that few teams and few players have and that Pepi is in a fantastic position. Pepi has a lot to learn so this gives him a chance improve his game.
And Earnie will back Bosz on this. Why?
Pepi is not yet Kane or Lewandoski. He has a knack for scoring at the right time but it has mostly been versus CONCACAF garbage or weak Eredivisie teams. The question is can he score as much when he consistently faces higher level opposition? It also wouldn’t hurt him to develop his all around game more. Y’all forget that he is still about three years younger than Clint was when Clint went to Fulham.
He might be capable of being the full time #1 for PSV right now but he is better off takin the time to learn his craft. Ricardo was brought in specifically to developed. By the way, that is exactly what Earnie told Jozy when he bought him for AZ; that Jozy had a lot to learn and this was the place to do it.
The most likely scenario is that either later this season or sometime next Pepi becomes #1 for the Dutch Champions. If he goes to the World Cup and then has a break out Cup which we all want, then PSV would be looking at a really nice profit.
Or Pepi could get bought in January by some shit EPL mid table or bottom dweller or yo-yo team. And then spend the year leading up to the World Cup struggling for playing time with said garbage team.
Of course he might do really well but the risk is he could be the next Jozy to Sunderland.
That’s one of my main complaints about h8m and Johnny Cardoso. Tillman looks like a different player when playing with club vs playing with USMNT. He has equal quality players around when playing with both USMNT and PSV, so it’s not that. Maybe it’s team chemistry. He is still learning how to play with Weah, Pulisic, McKennie and company.
Striker,
I wouldn’t group Pepi and Tillman’s NT production in the same category Pepi 13g 3a in 1628 minutes, 1 goal contribution every 101 minutes. Tillman 0g 0a in 614 minutes. Time, space, Berhalter. 3 factors why they are better in Eredivisie than NT.
JR where did I ever bring up Pepi? When did I ever compare the two? Tillman and Cardoso have been lackluster as hell for USMNT. Gaslighting is a trigger for me! Dont do it! Sir you are the one reaching, not me!
Striker, sorry misread your comment. Thought you were putting Pepi and Tillman together. My three reasons remain though. Time, space, and Berhalter. Guys like Johnny and Malik seemingly should thrive under Poch. He wants them to play decisively, get better movement, pop up in different spaces. Berhalter’s slow prescribed attack just didn’t highlight them.
Striker,
For what its worth, when Tillman went to Rangers and then PSV, it seemed like both managers had a plan for him.
Same thing with Johnny and Real Betis.
And of course for both players, their club managers have had a lot more practice time and game opportunities to work them in and make them feel comfortable with whatever the “plan ” was.
I have no inside information but I never felt that Gregg had much of a plan for either guy other than Malik was supposed to challenge for the “Gio spot” and Johnny was to be Tyler’s replacement/backup.
I’m not capable of being fair to Gregg because I have no credible information on why he did what he did. If he had a plan I don’t know anyone who knows the details.
In any case, he really did not have much time to work with either player, not in comparison to how much time their clubs have had with them.
Think of how much time Santa had to work with his reindeer team and then you’ll understand why Rudolph might not have worked out at first.
Though they had no excuse for freezing him out of their reindeer games.
Pochettino seemed to have a plan for Johnny but injury has screwed that up for now.
As for Malik, I think people are way too impatient with him. He’s just a kid who has spent most of his life playing in what I call a European context. Playing for the national team in America is culture shock enough but then he has to go to Guadalajara? Fuck that. He just needs more time, though even that is no guarantee that he will ever amount to anything for the USMNT.
He also suffers because he’s one of those players who is smooth and effortless. Which to a USMNT fan who worships guys like Long, Ariolla and Brendan, who will run through walls all day and accomplish maybe nothing, it means Malik must be lazy.
For the USMNT, Johnny looks further along but then he’s a bit older. And he’s had the experience of transitioning from South America to Spain, so there is that. And maybe most notably, unlike Malik, who did his youth international time with Germany, Johnny has had significant time with Under-23’s in the 2020 CONCACAF Men’s Olympic Qualifying Championship.
Neither one of these guys may work out but it will be interesting to see Pochettino try. And both are certainly an improvement on guys like Seba and Djorde.
Striker let me also clear up the Wydner/Adu, Benfica discussion. I don’t consider the U20 WC a B/C team event. I think of that as a Youth A team. Clubs will scout that because they want the bright young talent that they can turn for a profit in a few years. They also have 32 teams playing in one country for three weeks, bang for buck. Not many clubs are going to send scouts to watch USA domestic league players vs Venezuelan domestic league players in a January non-window match. If it was a competitive window like NL or Copa America against Venezuela’s first team it could garner exposure but January camp just isn’t going to get a guy a move. Anybody in January camp that gets a move that window is because the team already wants them and is just trying to work on the details.
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Benfica had bid on Wydner in March and had agreed on the details in April. Everyone had to wait for Josh to turn 18 for it to be announced. They didn’t discover him at the U20 WC.
Didnt mean to trigger yall.
Have a blessed Merry Christmas.
Here’s to hopefully seeing Pepi more in the second half of the season if not sold.
You didn’t trigger me 2 tone. Jr did though 😆 lol. Tillman and Cardoso stay having these looks like they are confused, like what more do you want from me when they played under Beerholder 🍺 🫲👨🦲
Merry Christmas to everybody. I always argue out of love, I appreciate every one of you. Striker I’ll work on my careful reading skills.
merry Christmas to all, thanks for continuing to support SBI!